On a grey Sunday in September, windows still manage to let shafts of afternoon light into Hackney music venue EartH Kitchen. People dip in and out of the dancefloor as DJs play pulsing, amorphous dance music, while in the lounge area others cluster around tables to paint landscapes or self-portraits. This is Out of Body Pop, billed as “London’s first neuro-inclusive music event series”.
Neurodiverse is the umbrella term for a range of diagnoses and experiences, including but not limited to autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia, and which often occur together – it’s estimated that one in seven people in the UK are neurodivergent. Out of Body Pop is part of a growing clutch of music events geared towards these audiences, many of whom find regular nights out difficult. My own experience as a music journalist with ADHD has been marked by festival meltdowns: sudden bursts of anger or tears after days of sensory and social overwhelm.
